Oliver W

Poorly prepped cars, and bad attitudes

I would strongly encourage prospective customers—particularly those considering an approved used Mazda—to read this review carefully before choosing to spend their money at Guildford Mazda. Based on my experience, I would advise seeking a dealership with higher standards of vehicle preparation and customer care. After locating a vehicle through the official Mazda Approved Used Car network, I placed a deposit on a 2018 Mazda MX-5 (registration AY68 FKS). The car was low mileage, well presented in the dealer’s online photographs, and I was pleased to proceed with the purchase through Sales Executive, Daran. I was informed that the vehicle required some preparation work prior to handover, specifically relating to a module connected to the crash detection system. I was assured this would be resolved without issue, and a handover date was arranged for eight days later. Upon arriving at the dealership—having travelled approximately 2.5 hours from my home in Bristol—I was presented with a vehicle that was clearly not fit for sale. Within less than a minute of inspection, it was obvious that the journey had been wasted, as I would not consider purchasing a car in such condition. Daran apologised and pointed out a deep scratch approximately six inches long on the right-hand side of the vehicle, claiming the damage had occurred between preparation and handover. This scratch was located only a few centimetres from several large dents on the same panel. In addition, the driver’s door had significant paint loss, the front bumper showed evidence of a very poor-quality repair, the bonnet was covered in obvious scratches, and the passenger door also had a large dent. Following a discussion with his manager, who was not present at the dealership, my deposit was refunded. However, no compensation was offered for the considerable time wasted or for the costs incurred as a direct result of the vehicle being misrepresented. I am now in contact with Mazda UK’s customer service team to raise concerns about the standards at Guildford Mazda—particularly how a vehicle in this condition could ever have been presented or marketed as an approved used Mazda.